Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 244: Extravagant Spending

Time flew by, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Qin Lu had been shuttling relentlessly between the inn and the trading markets of Shuntian City. Finally, he managed to liquidate every last scrap of loot seized from the evil cultivators.

This firesale included all the Magical Artifacts and the vast majority of the Talismans and Pills. The sheer volume of goods moved resulted in a massive influx of wealth.

However, his savings account didn’t reflect that windfalls for long.

Qin Lu looked down at the pile of Spirit Stones scattered on the floor of his room, his expression a mix of satisfaction and helplessness.

The silver stones formed a small mound. Aside from over two thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones, there were more than thirty Medium Grade Spirit Stones. Converted, his total liquid assets amounted to roughly six thousand Spirit Stones.

This was everything Qin Lu currently had to his name.

Over the past ten days, he had sold fifteen First-Grade Magical Artifacts and eight Second-Grade Magical Artifacts, netting over eighteen thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.

He had also offloaded one hundred and twenty First-Grade Talismans and thirty-two Second-Grade Talismans, bringing in another three thousand seven hundred stones.

Finally, forty-eight First-Grade Pills and eight Second-Grade Pills added another eight thousand three hundred to the pot.

In total, he had generated nearly thirty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones. Even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, this was an astronomical sum—a true fortune.

The reason he now held only six thousand was simple.

He had gone on a shopping spree.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Lu retrieved four items from his Storage Bracelet. They floated silently in the air before him, glowing with spiritual power.

The first item on the left was a pair of boots.

Crafted from exquisite brocade silk with black uppers and white soles, they were stitched with gilded cloud motifs along the edges. Inside, a complex array of miniature speed-enhancing formations hummed with power. They radiated an aura of martial elegance and dashing heroism.

These were the Cloud Piercing Boots, a Second-Grade High Grade Magical Artifact that had cost Qin Lu seven thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.

They were designed for one thing: explosive acceleration. Whether running on the ground, riding a flying artifact, or flying unaided, these boots provided a terrifying boost to his speed. For a cultivator who prioritized survival, they were invaluable.

The second item was a small stack of yellow paper—ten sheets in total. These were Third-Grade Talismans, capable of summoning powerful battle puppets.

Third-Grade Talismans could only be crafted by Golden Core cultivators. Their power was a full tier above Second-Grade ones. The moment Qin Lu saw them, he didn’t hesitate to pay.

Power came at a price. A single Third-Grade Talisman cost one thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones. This small stack alone had drained ten thousand stones from his purse.

The third and fourth items were ancient scrolls.

One was titled the Phantom Mantra. It was a Foundation Establishment movement skill designed to enhance the user’s agility. If cultivated to a high level, the user would leave behind unpredictable afterimages while moving, making them nearly impossible to target.

This scroll cost over four thousand Spirit Stones. It was expensive, but Qin Lu considered it a necessary investment.

As his cultivation realm improved, the speed boost provided by the Soft Wind Technique was becoming negligible. He urgently needed a new movement technique to match his rising power and complement his swordplay.

The final scroll was the Gold Escape Technique.

This was the high-level escape art Qin Lu had been yearning for. It granted the ability to instantly teleport a short distance. Although the Spiritual Qi consumption was massive, it was the ultimate survival tool.

The Gold Escape Technique was a hot commodity. When Qin Lu tried to purchase it, he had locked horns with a wealthy young cultivator in a fierce bidding war.

In the end, Qin Lu crushed his competitor with a final bid of nearly five thousand Spirit Stones.

These four items had cost him over twenty-six thousand Spirit Stones in total.

Even with his massive windfall and original savings, he was left with a mere six thousand.

“This should be enough to pay Fan Yueren…”

Qin Lu muttered to himself, waving his hand to sweep the items and the remaining Spirit Stones back into his storage artifact.

“But why is this Purple Treasure Ginseng so impossible to find?” Qin Lu’s brow furrowed in frustration.

It had been over ten days since he posted the bounty at the Merit Hall, yet there had been zero response.

He had even gone back to verify the posting, paranoid that his token might have malfunctioned, only to be told that no one had accepted the task.

He hadn’t relied solely on the Merit Hall, either. He had scoured the stalls in the trading area and even set up a sign at his own booth offering a heavy reward for the ginseng.

Nothing. Not a whisper.

There were only three days left before his agreed deadline with Fan Yueren. If he couldn’t gather the ingredients by then, Fan Yueren would enter Secluded Cultivation to attempt his Golden Core breakthrough, and Qin Lu’s opportunity would vanish.

The ticking clock was gnawing at his patience. His expression had been perpetually dark for days.

“I’ll go find Fan Yueren again today. Maybe he has a lead on the ingredient…”

Qin Lu stood up and headed for the door.

He had visited Fan Yueren’s residence twice in the last few days, but the alchemist was never in. According to the steward, Fan Yueren was out searching for ingredients himself and wouldn’t return for a few days.

Today, Qin Lu decided to try his luck again.

Walking through the streets of Shuntian City, Qin Lu ignored the bustling prosperity around him, his steps quick and purposeful as he headed toward Fan Yueren’s mansion.

After ten days in Shuntian City, he had gained a decent understanding of this cultivation metropolis.

The city was home to multiple Golden Core cultivators, each dominating their own district. And sitting above them all was a terrifying Nascent Soul great power.

The golden statue Qin Lu had seen in the Merit Hall was said to be the true likeness of that Nascent Soul ancestor. The mere thought of such power made Qin Lu sigh with emotion.

Hmm?

Suddenly, a subtle vibration buzzed against Qin Lu’s chest.

His eyes widened in delight. He quickly reached into his robe and pulled out the wooden token. It was glowing with a faint light and trembling continuously.

“A response!”

The Merit Hall token finally had a reaction!

Qin Lu’s heart raced. He immediately spun on his heel and sprinted toward the Merit Hall.

Moving with haste, he soon arrived at the massive structure. He wove through the crowd and approached the front reception desk.

“Friend, my token has received a response,” Qin Lu said, handing the token over.

The reception cultivator took the token, fiddled with it for a moment, and then looked up with a respectful nod. “Senior, please follow me.”

Qin Lu didn’t waste a second, falling into step behind the receptionist.

They walked through the main hall and ascended a staircase leading to the upper levels. As they climbed, the noise of the main hall faded, replaced by a quiet, elegant atmosphere suitable for high-level transactions.

Soon, they arrived outside a private room. The receptionist knocked gently, then pushed the door open. “Senior, he is inside.”

Qin Lu stepped into the room, his gaze landing on the cultivator sitting cross-legged by the table.

However, when he saw the man’s face clearly, he froze.

It’s actually him…